1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to methods of cleaning a toilet, and in particular, to methods of cleaning a toilet in which a worker may quickly and effectively clean a toilet while having minimal direct contact with the surfaces of the toilet.
2. Description of the Related Art
When using a restroom facility, a user hopes that the restroom, and especially the toilet, will be clean. However, as most people have experienced, that desire often is far from reality. In fact, the number-one building maintenance complaint is dirty restrooms, with dirty toilets being a chief cause for this leading building maintenance complaint. Moreover, everyone is affected. For example, if you have had to use a dirty toilet facility, you know what an unpleasant experience that is. Likewise, if you are responsible for cleaning a toilet or series of toilets, you know how unpleasant that experience is, particularly given the relatively ineffective tools which are used.
Traditional methods of cleaning a toilet typically involve the use of a spray bottle and scrub brush, and sometimes a mop, mop bucket, and paper toweling or rag. For routine cleaning of a toilet, a worker typically raises the toilet seat, sprays a cleaning chemical into the toilet bowl from a spray bottle, and brushes the inside surface of the toilet bowl below the water line with a scrub brush. The worker may also use the spray bottle to spray a cleaning solution onto the top and bottom of the toilet seat. The worker may then either bend down or kneel on the floor in order to apply cleaning solution from the spray bottle to the top surface of the toilet bowl rim and the exterior surface of the bowl itself. The worker also may choose to wipe down some of these surfaces. On a less frequent basis, the worker may use a mop and mop bucket, plunging the mop into the toilet bowl in order to temporarily lower the water level within the bowl. Then, the worker may manually scrub the water line with a hand-held brush.
As you can appreciate, even if a toilet is cleaned frequently, as described above, such cleaning methods are only partially effective, and therefore, remain unsatisfactory to both the user and the worker. Also, because these cleaning methods are highly hands-on, quite time consuming, and only partially effective, they are extremely demanding on the worker. For example, because the tools require a lot of xe2x80x9celbow greasexe2x80x9d by the worker, the work is physically taxing. In addition, because the methods described above are only partially effective, the work often is rather demoralizing for the worker. In the short term, this combination of highly hands-on, physical work with only marginal results causes many workers to xe2x80x9ccut cornersxe2x80x9d and not care about their work. In the longer term, the negative aspects of these methods lead to high worker turnover and a continuation of dirty toilet facilities.
The invention overcomes the above mentioned drawbacks by providing a method of cleaning a toilet which is simple, quick, and effective, which requires far less physical energy by the worker, and in which the worker has minimal direct-contact with any of the surfaces of the toilet. Accordingly, the method produces a sparkling-clean toilet for the user, and a cleaning methodology which raises the dignity and job satisfaction of the worker.
The method involves using a spray gun connected to a source of pressurized liquid, and if desired, using a blower nozzle connected to a source of forced air. In further detail, in one aspect of the invention, the worker sprays a liquid from the spray gun nozzle outlet onto various surfaces of the toilet including, for example, the seat, bowl, base or wall mount, flush handle, water tank, and/or water-supply pipe assembly, as appropriate. If desired, the liquid being sprayed from the outlet of the spray gun may include a cleaning-liquid composition, such as a solution formed from water and one or more cleaning chemicals, for example. Also, if desired, the worker may use a spray gun which has both a high-pressure mode and a low-pressure mode, as well as an adjustable spray pattern which, for example, may allow liquid to be sprayed from the gun in any of a number of different patterns ranging from a relatively wide, fan pattern to a relatively narrow, focused, pinpoint pattern. If such a spray gun is used to spray a cleaning solution or the like, the worker may apply the cleaning solution to these various surfaces using the low-pressure and/or fan-pattern mode, if desired. By way of example, depending upon the particular spray gun and source of pressure used to pressurize the liquid, the pressure at the spray gun in the low-pressure, fan-pattern mode may be from about 5 pounds per square inch (xe2x80x9cpsixe2x80x9d) to about 60 psi.
In another aspect, if a cleaning chemical is used in the step described immediately above, the worker may then spray a rinsing liquid onto one or more of the various surfaces of the toilet If desired, the rinsing liquid may be water or a solution of water and a rinsing additive. Also, if desired, the worker may adjust the spray gun so that it is set to spray in a high-pressure and/or pinpoint-pattern mode. Depending on the spray gun and source of pressure used, the pressure at the spray gun in the high-pressure, pinpoint-pattern made may be from about 100 psi to about 600 psi. Because of the force of the liquid coming out of the spray gun in this mode, the worker is able to thoroughly clean various surfaces of the toilet via the raw mechanical force of the liquid as it contacts the surfaces. Also, if a cleaning chemical is used in the step discussed above, then this step serves to rinse the cleaning solution off of various surfaces of the toilet. In this step, in addition to spraying the upper surfaces of the toilet, such as the flush handle, tank, water-supply pipe assembly, wall-mount upper surface, and/or toilet-seat upper surface, the worker may raise the toilet seat, thereby enabling the worker to spray the bottom surface of the seat, the seat hinges, the upper and interior-sidewall surfaces of the rim, the exterior surface of the bowl, the base, and/or the wall mount. This aspect of the invention allows for thorough cleaning of any of the external surfaces of a toilet, most of which do not get properly cleaned using traditional methods.
In a further aspect of the invention, the worker may thoroughly clean not only the primary- interior surface of the bowl at and above the water line, but also an area of the bowl which rarely if ever is properly cleaned using traditional methodsxe2x80x94namely the lip of the rim including the flush-water outlets, an area which tends to act as a safe harbor for dirt and germs. In this step, the worker positions the nozzle of the spray gun into the bowl, adjacent the lower, interior edge of the rim, and aims the liquid outlet of the spray gun toward the primary interior surface of the bowl adjacent the lip of the rim. The worker then rotates the spray gun in a radial manner about the bowl, with the liquid outlet of the spray gun oriented toward the primary interior surface of the bowl adjacent the lip of the rim, while spraying a liquid through the liquid outlet of the spray gun. In this fashion, the worker quickly and thoroughly cleans the lip of the rim including the flush-water outlets, as well as the primary interior surface of the bowl from the water line to the rim. If desired, the worker may rest the spray gun nozzle against the lower, interior edge of the rim during the rotating step, thereby using the lower, interior edge as a quick and easy guide to facilitate directional control of the liquid being sprayed from the spray gun. Also, if desired, the worker may operate the spray gun in a high pressure and/or pinpoint-pattern mode during this step, thereby increasing the force with which the liquid contacts the various surfaces being cleaned.
In another aspect, the worker holds the spray gun above the upper surface of the water in the bowl (i.e., the water line), and points the spray gun nozzle outlet at the upper surface of the water. The worker then sprays a liquid through the liquid outlet of the spray gun, thereby cleaning the primary interior surface of the bowl at and below the upper surface of the water. If desired, the worker may move the nozzle in a pattern above the surface of the water, thereby further enhancing the cleaning of the primary interior surface of the bowl at and/or below the upper surface of the water. In addition, if desired, the worker may adjust the spray gun so that it is operating in a high-pressure and/or pinpoint-pattern mode during this step.
In a further aspect of the invention, the worker sprays a liquid from the spray gun onto various exterior surfaces of the toilet, such as the upper and interior-sidewall rim surfaces, the bowl exterior surface, the base, and/or the junction where the base meets the floor. If a cleaning solution was applied in an earlier spraying step, then the worker may use this step to further clean and rinse various exterior surfaces using a liquid such as water or a solution of water and a rinse additive. If desired, the worker may have the spray gun in a high-pressure and/or pinpoint-pattern mode, thereby taking advantage of the more-intense mechanical cleaning action of the liquid being sprayed from the spray gun.
In another aspect, the worker directs forced air from the blower nozzle outlet onto the upper surface of the seat of the toilet, thereby facilitating removal of at least a portion of any liquid which may be remaining on the upper surface of the seat. The upper surface of the seat extends between an interior edge and an exterior edge. If desired, the worker may rotate the blower nozzle in a radial manner about the seat, with the outlet of the blower nozzle generally oriented so as to blow the portion of the liquid outward, in the direction of the seat exterior edge.
As may be appreciated from the various aspects of the invention described briefly above, the method of cleaning a toilet is both highly effective and highly efficient. In other words, a worker is able to clean a toilet facility far better, and in less time, when compared with traditional methods. Moreover, the method allows the worker to do a thorough job without having to touch soiled toilet surfaces. This combination of benefits results in dramatically improved worker satisfaction, a sense of dignity regarding the work being performed, and clean toilet facilities for you and me.